Graceful Reading

Theology and Narrative in the Works of John Bunyan

Michael Davies

Offers a new way of understanding Bunyan's theology and his narrative art, examining and reassessing the complex and interdependent relationship between them

Asserts uniquely that Bunyan's writings are exciting as literature precisely because of, rather than despite, the spiritual imperatives that inform them

Graceful Reading

Theology and Narrative in the Works of John Bunyan

Michael Davies

Description

Graceful Reading is a study of the writings of the 17th-century preacher John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim's Progress. The book reassesses the relationship between Bunyan's theology and his narrative style, redefining them both according to a more specific understanding of 17th-century "Calvinism", and a more "postmodernist" understanding of narrative.

Graceful Reading

Theology and Narrative in the Works of John Bunyan

Michael Davies

Table of Contents

Introduction1. A comfortable doctrine: John Bunyan's theology of grace2. Bunyan's exceeding maze: doctoring and doctrine in Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners3. Of things seen and unseen: graceful reading and narrative practice in Grace Abounding4. Into an allegory: method, metaphor, and the apology of The Pilgrim's Progress5. 'Sweet fiction and sweet truth': theology and narrative in The Pilgrim's Progress6. First among sequels: John Bunyan's other allegoriesPostscript: the legacy of The Pilgrim's Progress

Graceful Reading

Theology and Narrative in the Works of John Bunyan

Michael Davies

Author Information

Michael Davies is Lecturer in English at the University of Leicester

Graceful Reading

Theology and Narrative in the Works of John Bunyan

Michael Davies

Reviews and Awards

"Advanced students and scholars may find this book interesting, particularly Davies'treatment of allegory in Pilgrim's Progress and the parallels he draws between Bunyan's narrative and postmodern theory."--Religious Studies Review

"Davies' endeavor is a most valuable contribution to literary studies of Bunyan."--Calvin Theological JournalR